Sheep-shears



F. VN. L. WILLETT.

SHEEP SHE'ARS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19, |919- 1,348,914. Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

IWW Uhr) Y lllll 555 5 5 ZO FafZrYLM/lle FRANK N. I.. WILLETr, or. AURORA, ILLINOIS.

SHEEP- sumas Y To all whom t may concern marked thereon, which form apart of thisv specification. v

This invention relates to sheep shears and particularly to that class of shears which are hand directed and powery driven.V Devices of this character include a comb or stationary cutter fixed to a casing or housing, a vibrating cutter, `a vibrating lever for operat-` ing said cutter and means for applying pressure tothe vibrating cutter to hold the same in close contact with the stationary cutter.

The particular Vobject of my present invention is to improve the shears, of this general class, shown in my prior Patent No. 896,497, of August 18, 1908,wherein an oscillating arm vibrates a cutter across a stationary cutter or comb several thousand times each minute, with the result that there is a great tendency .of the parts to become worn or loosened in use. This results in the bearing surfaces of the presser fingers which bear on the top of the cutter not only becoming worn but often times becoming worn unevenly, thus making the presser fingers bear unevenly upon the vibrating cutter and im-V pairing its eiciency.

It will also be noted that the vibrating cutter is provided with apertures into which pins, depending from the vibrating head, project. The vibration Vcauses wear and loosening of these pins. The result is that in practice these pins have to be removed and new ones inserted very frequentlysometimes as often as every other day during the shearing season. Furthermore, the wear on the presser fingers themselves is such that they have to be frequently removed and new ones inserted. These parts are costly: For example, a cutting tool of the type referred to, costing, say $15.00 will require during the four months shearing season, a dozen pairs of presser fingers at an expense of approximately $6.00, and new pins connecting the vibrating arm with the vibrating cutter, at an expense of about $3.00, in addition to the expense and time required to Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

Application filed September 19, 19179. Serial No. 324,751.

remove the pins from the vibrating arm, inserting the new ones, and riveting the same to the arm. It has been found impractical to regrind the presser fingers after they become worn, on account of the difficulty in restoring them to their Vproper position so as to contact with the vibrating cutter, and for this reason new presser fingers are generally used when the old ones becomeworn.

' YTo remedy these practical difficulties and save the expense of repair parts and to make abetter and more satisfactory sheep shears, are the principal objects of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is atop plan view of a sheep shearing machinev embodying my invention.

Fig. V2 is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional View of the same taken on the plane ofits longitudinal axis.

Fig. 3 is a. bottom 111g arm. n t Fig. 4 is a plan view of the vibrating cuter. l Y

Fig. 5 is a front view of two of the teeth of the vibrating cutter with a pair of the presser fingers inposition thereon, slightly enlarged. K

Fig. 6 vis a sectional view, enlarged, of two of the teeth of the vibrating cutter and a pair of presser fingers taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated lby the arrow.

Fig. 7 shows a modification.

In that form of device embodying my invention, illustrated in the drawings, 1 indicates the ordinary housing terminating in the handle 2. A comb or stationary cutter 3 is securely fixed to the bottom of the housing 1. The vibrating cutter 4 is provided with four cutting teeth 5, having outwardly and downwardly sloping or flaring sides 5a as shown.

The vibrating lever or arm is indicated at 6, and is fulcrumed at the ball and socket joint 7 and driven by a crank or eccentric 8, fixed upon the end of the shaft 9. The vibrating arm 6 is removably attached to the cutter 4 as will be hereinafter described, and pressure is applied thereto by means of the dolly-pin 10 and the tension screw 11.V

The vibrating arm 6 is provided with a head l2 of practically the same width as the cutter 4. In the ends of the headl2 I provide pins 13 which enter holes 14 in the cutter 4. The pins 13 aid in transmitting the plan view ofthe vibratvibratory motion of the arm 6 to the cutter @L and hold theseparts in proper relation' with respect to each other. c

Presser fingers 15, arranged in' pairs, are connected by a yoke 16, having a stem-17, by which it is mounted in the head 120i the vibrating arm 6. The stems 17; are 'preterably arranged in lines extending radially ffrom the fulcrum point ofthelever or arm 6, which is free to swing or turn upon a longitudinal axis dened by the ball and socket joint. V7 and theball -10 on the end of lthe dollyepin. Thepresser fingers 15 are provided on their outer ends with notches 20, adapted to Acontact with the sloping sides a ofthe cutting teeth 5.'.

1 These notches 2O straddle the cutter to permit the presser lingers to Contact with the sides of the cutting teeth and exert sidewise pressure thereon. These notchesfare shown as V-shaped, .but vit will be understood that any other formof notch may be.

used, as forv example, the formV shown in Fig. 7.

It will be noted thatV in .devices of the character heretofore known, and such as shown Y inmy-patent hereinabovepreferred to, the

transmission lof the vibratory motion trom the 'arm 6 to the cutter 4; has been accomplished solely by means of the pins 13 projecting into the holes 14k of the cutter V,V-the pressure lingers4v 15 acting merely Vto bear upon the top of the cutter teeth fand'hold the cutter Vdown upon the stationary comb` or cutter 3. 'Y l 7 In my'improveddevica-I have made the presser ngers 15, in such form as to secure not only the bearing effect upon the cutter 4,

referred to, but valso to engage with the sides of the associated cutter teeth 5, whereby the Y Y1,348,914 Y strain :of transmitting vibratory Yniotion is almost entirely removed from the pins 13 and evenly distributed to the four presser lingers l5, and through'them motion is transp mitted to the cutter teeth.

Y Iiind in practice that a machine embodying my present invention may be vused durving an entire shearing season without the a pair of pins carried by said operating arm and adapted to; seat inthe openings'in said vibrating cutter andV thereby connect said arm with said cutter, and a plurality of presser and operating lingers loosely mounted in pairs onx said operatingv arm, each presser linger having means on its outerends adapted to engage the flaring sides of a cutterA tooth and thereby prevent transverse and vertical movement. ,A Y In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aiiix my signature in the presence ofA two witnesses, this 15th dayV o l September AID. 1919.

FRANK N. VL.V WI'LLETT.

Witnesses: Y Y

TAYLOR E.V BROWN, 'j BnR'rHA L. MAoGRnGoR. 

